A team of physicists has observed strong evidence of a mysterious “glueball” particle, Nature reported. The researchers said that a particle known as X(2370) is mostly made up of these glueballs, which are clusters of the force-carrying gluons that bind quarks together to form protons and neutrons inside atomic nuclei.
The research group presented their results at the International Conference on High Energy Physics in Natal, Brazil. Particle physicist Bruce Yabsley said that while no single smoking gun proves X(2370) is composed of glueballs, the experimental findings are “quite persuasive.”
Global ocean temperatures
Climate scientist Kristina Dahl warned that ocean warming “spells trouble for the planet” as average surface temperatures hover just a few hundredths of a degree below the record set in March 2024. Sea surface temperatures broke records over the past two months, fueled by human-induced climate change and an El Niño event in the Pacific Ocean.
US vaccine policy
US President Donald Trump signed an executive order recommending that children receive fewer vaccinations and that combination shots, beginning with the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) jab, be separated over time. Viral immunologist Paul Offit described the order as “not in any sense grounded in science.” The directive lacks inherent legal power, and producing separate vaccines would take manufacturers years and hundreds of millions of dollars.
Ebola outbreak response
Medical charity Alima has treated more than 700 patients in Rwampara, Democratic Republic of the Congo, where an Ebola outbreak has killed 291 people at its temporary hospital ward. Protective clothing worn by staff has not always prevented viral exposure, and a July worker strike over unpaid wages previously halted patient care for several days.
